1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to holders for memorial materials, including methods for driving the holders at least partially underground.
2. Description of Prior Art
People like to leave memorial material at gravesites, such as pictures of the deceased, messages to or about the deceased, flowers etc. These memorial materials need to be secured against wind, weather, theft, and inadvertent scattering or removal done intentionally or unintentionally by other people. Also, graveyard operators may have regulations regarding material that may be left at gravesites in order to avoid the accumulation of litter and to avoid interference with lawn maintenance. In particular, material that is held in place by stakes may constitute a hazard or obstruction for lawn mowers.
Also, one should be able to place such memorial material without carrying tools. For example, it is desirable to secure the memorial material without the need for hammers, shovels, and the like. Also, the memorial material should be protected from the elements and yet still be easily replaced, again without the need for carrying tools to the gravesite.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,608,220 a curved backplate 6 is attached to a stake 3. A memorial card 18 inside a clear envelope 28 is inserted in the diagonal slots 19 of cardholder 14, which is mounted on backplate 6. This assembly is covered with front plate 21.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,017,335 a memorial message is placed behind a transparent window 6 in a front plate 1. A backer plate 8 is placed behind the message and the front plate 1 is bolted to stake 10.
In U.S. Pat. No. 1,310,369 a memorial card is placed behind a glass pane 9 that is sandwiched between two sheet metal panels that are soldered together. A stake 1 is attached to the back of the assembly.
See also, U.S. Pat. No. 6,338,211 (stake designed to hold a card); U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,289, (platform 50 slides out of the end cap of a casket to display media such as a CD); and U.S. Design Pat. D360,733; and D386,880.
The target stand of U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,389 can be driven into the ground with foot pressure on crossbar 14.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,402 a support frame for a sign has legs 16 and 18 that converge inwardly.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,080,755 a marker can be imprinted with various planting instructions and plant descriptions. The lower end of the marker is triangular and the upper portion is rectangular. A charge of seeds 15 is contained behind tape 14 just above the triangular section. See also U.S. Pat. No. 3,908,308.